NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley rates Queensland and Australian rugby league captain the greatest hooker of all time.
Daley, who on Wednesday suffered a fourth Origin series loss in five years, also believed his Blues skipper Boyd Cordner could go on to lead the Kangaroos.
Smith again displayed his greatness on the big-game stage with a commanding performance in the Maroons' series-clinching win in Brisbane.
"He's one of the all-time greats, isn't he? He's certainly the best hooker that's ever played the game," Daley said on Fox Sports NRL 360 program.
"I always thought Stevie Walters was, but I think Cameron has probably overtaken him there.
"If you're sloppy around the middle, Cameron will just cut you to pieces.
"He's got good variety, his selection of what to do is second to none and that's what stands him apart."
Queensland coach Kevin Walters revealed that away from Origin battlefields, Smith even bamboozled his own teammates.
"We're just playing games and he mesmerises the defence with his handling, just the way he shows the ball," Walters said on NRL 360.
"He's not overly quick by any stretch, but his mind is really quick and his hands are very good."
Daley was full of praise for forward Cordner in his first series as Blues captain.
"A great leader, he has the capacity to go on and captain Australia and he's a guy that you build a team around," Daley said.
'You just know he's got something special about him and he will mould this (NSW) team and he'll turn them into a winning team."
Daley reiterated it was too early to make an announcement about his future, but his regular past-tense references suggested he would stand down.
"It's a great job and I've enjoyed doing it," Daley said.
"I've had a lot of fun doing it.
"We've got good systems in place to make sure that NSW can win series in the future".
Walters, contracted to coach Queensland again next year, said he he hadn't given much thought about doing the job beyond then.
Share
